Peter Parker One-shots

Smart

Here's another chapter. Prompt by Kkrgirlz.

I'm tired, so tired. Not because I got hit. Not because I went patrolling. Not because of training. Because I was doing work in the labs. I was pouring over books, equations, and papers.

I had to learn so much and it felt so hard. I wasn't just born smart like Einstein, I worked for everything. I spent weekdays, weekends, holidays, and breaks studying.

I had to. My Aunt May wasn't the richest person and always told me that if I wanted to be different then I would have to work hard on my school work as I was skinny as a shrimp. She wasn't being mean or cruel, she was telling the truth. I knew that school work was what would get me out of the bad neighborhood we lived in, it also what helped me drive into being a superhero.

Aunt May told me that I had to be better then anyone else, that I had to work harder then anyone else if I wanted to be better. That's just the truth.

*******

"Peter? Peter!" A woman's voice calls and I snap up from sleeping over my books and look around to see Mantis standing next to the fridge.

"Huh?" I ask and rub the sleep out of my eyes.

I look down at the computer along with half filled out packets and curse, I fell asleep again.

"What is wrong?" Mantis asks coming closer to me.

"I have three essays, twenty-eight pages of math problems, seven chapters to read, study for two tests that are a major part of my grade, and a whole packet of chemistry homework to do, all before Monday," I say and start sifting through the pages and my hands are shaking.

"I-I have to do everything plus patrol and I keep falling asleep all the time! I can't do anything!" I yell shuffling through more papers and can't find one of the review pages.

"Peter, you need to calm down," Mantis says and I slam my hands down on the table.

"I can't calm down! I have to do everything by Monday and I don't have time to sleep but I keep passing out," I say and rack my hands through my hair.

Mantis comes closer to me and touches my hand. Almost instantly, she pulls back and looks as if she's about to cry. I start panicking and before she can say anything I grab all of my school stuff and sprint to my room and close the door.

I sprint into the kitchen and set my stuff down and get my school stuff set back up. I stare down at a bunch of pages of math problems. I start filling the problems out and the only sound I can hear is the scratching of my pencil on the sheets of paper.

"Peter?" A voice calls and I turn to see Gamora standing in the corner of the kitchen.

"Oh, hey Gamora," I say and go back writing on the paper.

"Peter, Mantis told me that there's something going on with you," Gamora says and I nod.

"Muhm," I say and continue writing.

"How about you tell me what's going on?" Gamora asks and I look up briefly.

"No, I'm busy," I say and look back down at my work.

"No your not. Let's go spar," Gamora says and it's in a way that I know there's no room for argument.

I cast one more look at my school work but then follow Gamora down into the gym. I take off my sweatshirt and get into a fighting stance and Gamora copies me.

"So, what's going on?" Gamora asks and throws a quick series of punches that I block.

"Nothing, I just have a lot of work to do," I ask and move to kick her but she blocks and sends me to the ground.

"Something is going on or Mantis wouldn't come to me crying about you," Gamora says and I scowl.

"She shouldn't have pried. I'm just a bit stressed," I say and Gamora laughs dryly.

"You're more than stressed. What is going on?" Gamora asks again while trying to punch me.

"I'm just worried about school," I say and throw a punch of my own.

"Is that it?" Gamora asks and I sweep my legs and drop her to the floor.

"Yeah, and patrolling," I say and am hit upside the head by her fist.

"Why?" Gamora asks and I dodge another of her kicks.

"I wasn't really born with all of the smarts I have. I was born with a photographic memory but not the smarts themselves," I say and move to punch her but she blocks.

"So you study all the time," Gamora finishes and I nod.

"Yeah, I know that Mr. Stark only keeps me around for Spider-man and my idea's. If I'm no longer smart, I only have Spider-man," I say and dodge another punch.

"You know that that's not why he keeps you around right? I've known you for less than a week but I already know that Tony loves you to death," Gamora says and I shrug.

"No, it's not ok. He loves you to death. If he didn't, he wouldn't let you stay here, he wouldn't introduce you to the Avengers, and he wouldn't have movie nights with you. I may not have the best idea of what a father is like but I know Tony thinks of himself as your father," Gamora says and stops fighting.

"Ok, I can see where you are coming from," I say and Gamora nods.

"Now, how about we go watch Finding Nemo?" Gamora asks and I nod.

"Yeah, that sounds good," I say and Gamora swings her arm around my shoulder.

"Well, then off we go," Gamora says with a smile.

Maybe it wasn't all about smarts. Maybe it wasn't about Spider-man. Maybe, it was about one person caring about another. And maybe, just maybe, it was about a lonely billionaire adopting a Queens kid.